Three years ago, I set out to find the spy who betrayed Australia. I was pulled deep into a world of espionage and deception.
During the Cold War, an Australian spy turned to work for the enemy, giving national secrets to the Soviet Union’s KGB, and sabotaging the Australian spy agency ASIO from the inside.
The mole’s identity remained a mystery. The truth was buried, and the traitor was never brought to justice.
I have gone on a journey into the world of espionage to try and track them down.
I’m sharing this story on my new podcast, Secrets We Keep: Nest of Traitors.
My investigation has taken me across Australia. I have befriended former spies around the country who have never spoken publicly before, trawled through declassified documents, and travelled to a secretive military town in the outback.
When I finally established a list of suspects, I went after them.
It’s true-crime story – about the crime of treason – and it holds a mirror up to institutions that continue to wield a lot of power in Australia.
Although it’s a story that begins in the Cold War, it reaches into the present in ways that I never could have imagined. During the investigation, the historical tensions at the heart of this story were reignited when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Listen to my podcast “Secrets We Keep: Nest of Traitors” to join my search. You can hear it on the LiSTNR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes one and two are out now.